Consciously decide what truly matters to you and pursue those goals, rather than adopting external measures of success. This prevents achieving goals that ultimately prove unfulfilling, as seen in examples like Ebenezer Scrooge.
Develop individual, non-negotiable “automatic rules” for desired behaviors, like working out daily or setting meeting boundaries. These rules create a new default, circumventing willpower battles and making desired actions automatic.
Proactively manage factors like sleep, nutrition, and preparation to optimize your state for clear thinking. This puts you on “easy mode” to manage emotional and ego-driven defaults, making better decisions effortless.
Cultivate the ability to pause between a stimulus and your response, allowing time to think, reason, and choose a different path than an instinctive reaction. This enables you to assess the situation and avoid impulsive, unhelpful actions.
Consciously change your ego’s focus from needing to be “right” to prioritizing the best possible outcome in any situation. This shift helps overcome blind spots and improves collaboration by valuing the most effective solution.
Schedule a quarterly two-hour meeting with yourself to review your social circles and information consumption (online/offline). This practice ensures you’re consciously curating positive, smart influences and avoiding negative inputs.
Enlist a “personal board of directors” of heroes or role models who embody desired traits or mindsets. Mentally consult them (e.g., “What would X do?”) to gain diverse perspectives and reduce blind spots when facing problems.
Categorize decisions as “one-way doors” (hard to reverse) or “two-way doors” (easy to reverse) and apply different processes. Make two-way decisions quickly, and approach one-way decisions slowly and methodically.
Design your decision-making processes (e.g., for one-way/two-way doors) before a decision arises. This avoids relying on willpower or memory in the moment, ensuring a consistent and effective approach.
For low-stakes, easily reversible decisions, make them “As Soon As Possible” (ASAP). For high-stakes, irreversible decisions, wait “As Late As Possible” (ALAP) to gather maximum information.
For “As Late As Possible” decisions, make the judgment when you “Stop” gathering useful new information, face a “Flop” (first lost opportunity), or “Know” the right path due to unique insight. This prevents endless deliberation.
Engage in a thought experiment by visualizing your deathbed and what you want people to say about you. This allows you to turn future hindsight into current foresight, aligning your present choices with your desired legacy.
Regularly audit your calendar and commitments to ensure they align with your stated priorities, reflecting where your time, energy, and focus truly go. This helps identify discrepancies between your declared values and actual actions.
When you are responsible for a decision, take ownership of defining the problem yourself, rather than accepting a definition from others. This ensures accountability and that you are solving the correct issue.
Split problem-solving meetings into two separate sessions (e.g., 30 minutes each, 1-2 days apart). The first gathers input on the problem, and the second allows the decision-maker to define it and then brainstorm solutions, reducing blind spots.
In meetings, prompt participants with “What do you see about this problem that nobody else sees?” to elicit unique perspectives and uncover blind spots. This encourages deeper, more diverse contributions.
When exploring solutions, aim for more than just one or two options, as a deeper understanding of the problem often reveals three, four, or five viable paths. This encourages more thorough thinking and better outcomes.
Use the “battling criteria” method by writing each decision criterion on a sticky note and comparing them pairwise to rank them by importance. This clarifies priorities and helps weigh options effectively.
Be aware of “HALT” states (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) and avoid making important decisions when experiencing them. These states compromise clear thinking and can lead to poor choices.
Be careful and curatorial about the information and influences you allow into your mind, as these become the raw material for your future thoughts. This prevents negative or unhelpful content from shaping your perspective.
Read widely to learn from others’ experiences and insights, which allows you to prevent problems and avoid mistakes. This practice helps master “the best of what other people have figured out.”
Volunteer in retirement or assisted living communities to talk with residents. Their life experiences and regrets can offer valuable “hindsight as foresight” for your own decisions.
Place physical reminders, like a sticky note with a key phrase (“outcome over ego”), in your environment to prompt desired mindset shifts or behaviors. This serves as a constant, non-negotiable cue.